Breaker of Truth: Fantasy Killer
by nanashiX
Summary: My disability. My curse. My stigma. It is mine to bear. It is mine, and I will use it to my advantage. You will think I am weak. You will try to bring me down. But I am strong. Stronger than you could Imagine... This is a revamp of my previous work. I really liked the concept but didn't like where I was going in the beginning. Enjoy all. Cover image requested.
1. Imagine a Beginning

_My disability. My curse. My stigma. It is mine to bear. It is mine, and I will use it to my advantage. You will think I am weak. You will try to bring me down. But I am strong. Stronger than you could Imagine..._

Xxx

**AN: So if you read my KTtH:Rebirth you will know that I am back. I have a couple new stories. This one, which is a redux of my old one and another one. I am also updating Bad Day. It is a fun story that just helps me. Behold the Mimic is being read over like I did for the first Breaker of Truth. I'm not revamping it. Just going to edit it before I put out the next update. Anyways here you all go and thanks for reading and your feedback.**

**Xxx**

**Breaker of Truth Revamp**

"Do you really believe that they would let _him_ graduate?"

"I really knew he wouldn't. Who knows what will happen if the dem-"

"Shh you know we can't talk about _that_!"

Naruto looked blankly at the parents as they did their best to hide their comments. It was too late though. The blonde had heard them. It wasn't enough that the boy couldn't pass the test, but did the world have to mock him in the form of these biting remarks. The adults had no idea what the boy was feeling.

'They can't understand,' The boy in the orange and blue jumpsuit thought. 'No one can. And it's all because of _him_.' The boy sat on the swing that he loved. The swing that was so carefully tied to a tree outside the academy and was the choice of comfort for the blonde on many days. Things couldn't get any worse.

"Naruto," said boy looked up from his trance like state and squinted at the speaker. "Are you okay?" Mizuki, Naruto's silver haired sensei, gave the blonde a worried frown.

"I-I'm fine. Just," Naruto sighed. "I tried Mizuki-sensei. I really tried. But it seems like everything I do ends with me failing." Mizuki placed his hand comfortingly on the blonde boy's shoulder.

"I know you did. Look Iruka is just worried about you. He doesn't want you to go out into the field when you're not ready." Naruto scrunched up his nose and frowned.

"Then why is he so _hard_ on me?"

"Well that is because he sees a lot of himself in you," Mizuki answered. Naruto gaped.

"No way?"

"Yes," the silver haired man chuckled before continuing, "He was like you actually. He always used to pull pranks and such. He only does what he does because he cares." Naruto looked down and relented to the man's words. "Look Naruto... there may be a way for you to pass the exam."

Naruto looked up with a gasp and said, "What? Really? How do I do it Mizuki-sensei?!"

"Well, there is a scroll hidden in the Hokage tower. It is called the Scroll of Forbidden Seals. It is in the Hokage Tower on alternating weeks. This week is not one of those weeks. It was placed there for this purpose." Naruto listened with rapt attention. This was the final lifeline.

"What has been given to us teachers is a secondary test. This test is to see if said student is able to live up to being in a real life mission. You must get into the tower, undetected, and take the scroll. Now stealth is one of the areas that you had excelled in." Naruto flinched and tried not to show any negative emotion.

'Stealthy not by choice, but by chance,' the boy thought grimly.

"If you can take the scroll from this room to this location," here Mizuki handed the boy a small piece of paper, "in the woods and learn a technique by the time I meet with you tonight then you pass. Do you understand Naruto?"

"You got it Mizuki-sensei. I'll meet you there tonight and show what I can do!" Naruto grinned. 'Finally. Someone is giving me a chance to prove myself. Finally I can prove I'm not a cursed screw up!' Naruto thought with glee as he rushed off. If the boy would have turned he would have seen the demented smile on his teacher's face. A smile that promised nothing good.

Xxx

Naruto leaned against the wall of the Hokage tower and tried to calm his breathing. Silently counting in his head, the boy unraveled a length of rope with a collapsible hook on the end. 'Twenty-nine, and thirty. Okay now!' Naruto thought as he spun on his heel and sent the grappling hook up. The tool opened up and caught onto a windowsill just as the Chunin that was finishing his work in the room left. Naruto tugged on the line before pulling himself up the wall.

Naruto's close relationship with the Hokage was a boon to his mission. Thanks to the Sandaime allowing the boy to spend so much time with him Naruto was able to observe the inner workings of the tower. With this knowledge in hand Naruto had no doubt he wouldn't be caught. It also helped that he was nigh undetectable if one wasn't actively looking for him. It was a _small_ plus to his otherwise dismal curse.

The blonde quietly pulled himself over the ledge and into the room. He tread across the floor slowly and placed his ear against the door. There was no sound from the other side. Naruto grinned and slowly opened the door to lessen the sound before closing it behind him.

'Now where was that room again?' Naruto asked himself as he tried to recall what was said on the paper. 'I think Mizuki-sensei said it was near the Old Man's office.' Naruto prowled through the halls looking for the right room until he came across an unassuming door. It was an ordinary looking door with the words 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' scrawled on the frame. Other than the lettering the door was inconspicuous and easily forgettable.

Naruto looked side to side before opening the door quietly and trudging in. The inside was a mess. There were scrolls and books strewn everywhere. Papers were left lying about and tomes were still open collecting dust. The boy blinked through the dust and meandered his way to the back. There were a number of scrolls that ranged from as small as his hand to larger than him, but Naruto had eventually found his prize. Grinning, the boy strapped it to his back and made to leave when a voice froze his blood.

"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?" Said boy spun around and faced Sarutobi Hiruzen looking annoyed, tired, and confused.

"U-uh uhmm," Naruto stuttered before he glanced around the room. 'Damn no choice!' He thought before flaring his chakra.

"What's going-," Sarutobi stopped mid-sentence and narrowed his eyes as he felt Naruto gather chakra. He wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"_Henge_!" Hiruzen blinked in shock as Naruto erupted in smoke and was replaced by a very beautiful and very naked blonde girl with a pouting look on her face. The man's perverted tendencies won over his rational thought and the result was him collapsing in a pool of blood. Blood that was expelled via his nasal capillaries.

'N-no handseals!?' Was Sarutobi's final coherent thought before his mind was filled with the luscious image of Naruto's Orioke no jutsu. When Naruto was positive the Hokage was out he released the technique and cringed.

"Ow," the boy said before stepping over the leader and strongest man of his village to meet up with his sensei.

It took Naruto a good two hours before he reached the shack that was to be the meeting point. With a quick look around Naruto plopped on the ground and unstrapped the large scroll from his back.

"Okay let's see what we have here," Naruto said as he opened the scroll.

"_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu_," Naruto read, "_the more dangerous and chakra extensive derivative of Kage Bunshin no jutsu. The Kage bunshin no jutsu creates a corporeal copy of the user. Unlike the regular Bunshin no jutsu, this clone has its own will_."

Naruto stroked his chin and thought of the possibilities of multiple hims. 'Sound idea. Imagine, hundreds of me,' Naruto thought wistfully. In the village many civilians suddenly felt a deep chill go down their spines. 'Let's read more.'

"_Other than the extreme chakra costs, this jutsu is dangerous due to the mental feedback a clone gives its creator once it is dispelled. Each experience a clone has is transferred to the user which is why this jutsu was used as an information tool. The user must also split their chakra to each clone which is very dangerous. The handseals are-_"

"Damn it! Next," Naruto cursed as he unrolled the scroll more.

"_Kage Shuriken no jutsu & Kage Kunai no jutsu: this derivative of the Kage bunshin no jutsu creates corporeal copies of the weapons. The handseals are-,_" Naruto didn't even finish reading the full description and moved on. "_Katon: Joushou Hakai no jutsu (Rising Destruction): the fires of Hell are called forth with this jutsu. Using the handseals the user-,_" Naruto growled lowly and opened the scroll more. "_Fuuton: Wazawai-nan (Calamity): created by a ninja with an extremely high wind elemental affinity. The handse-_ son of a bitch!" Naruto stood up and literally kicked open the scroll so that it unfurled in its entirety.

The blonde walked down the scroll reading each jutsu as he went. His frown got deeper and deeper as he went till he was literally boiling in rage. By the time Naruto reached the end he dropped to his knees and screamed into the sky. He couldn't do any of the techniques in the scroll. Even the Fuinjutsu was well beyond his ability.

Naruto stood up once more and gave the whole scroll another look through. It wasn't a joke. There was nothing that Naruto could do. The boy practically sobbed in frustration as he kicked the scroll and it snapped shut on its own. Grabbing it the boy clipped it to his back and sat in waiting. His sensei would come and maybe he would get points for just getting the scroll.

Xxx

Iruka raced through the forest as fast as he could. His mind was filled with so many questions. Why would Naruto take the Scroll of Seals? How had he known of it? What was the purpose? His musings were cut short as he saw a speck of orange and raced to it. Landing in front of what he confirmed was Naruto Iruka stood to his full height and prepared his rant. He didn't have a chance.

"So _you're_ the one who comes to get me eh Iruka-sensei," Naruto mumbled. Iruka faltered and his previous anger ebbed away. Why did Naruto sound so despondent? "Well I got the scroll. I've got to get some points for that right?" The boy asked as he looked at the man with hope in his eyes.

"W-what are you talking about? Naruto you _stole_ a sacred item! What points?" Iruka cried in confusion.

"The test. You know the special one that Mizuki-sensei told me about. He said if I could get this scroll and learn a technique from it I would pass. But...I'm sorry Iruka-sensei. I couldn't learn anything from here. I'm not able to," Naruto finished quietly. Iruka gave Naruto an odd look before a light bulb lit in his head. Of course! Mizuki! His assumptions were right as he heard the telltale sign of displaced air behind him.

"Naruto get down!" Iruka yelled as he pushed Naruto aside. Naruto flew to the side and watched in shock as a large Fuuma shuriken landed where they once were. The source was Mizuki who stood atop a branch with a sick smile.

"Sensei what the hell!" Naruto screamed at Mizuki who was looking down on them.

"Quiet _demon_!" Mizuki spat out. Naruto flinched at that.

"Why does everyone call me that?!" The blonde yelled but was ignored.

"Mizuki! What's going on?" Iruka yelled up at Mizuki. The silver haired Chunin only smiled a malicious smile and sent a volley of shuriken at the two below. Iruka sprung forward and grabbed Naruto. "Naruto I want you to run…get out of here! Don't let Mizuki get the Scroll," Iruka said to Naruto.

"Oh really Iruka, why do you pretend to care about that demon scum?" Mizuki yelled out.

"Of course I care about him! He is my student and precio-"

"Cut the bull shit!" Mizuki growled. "We both know you hate him".

"No that's not true," Iruka said back. He turned to look at Naruto, who seemed to be looking back and forth between the two ninja in complete confusion.

"Tell me Naruto do you want to know why everyone hates you?" said Mizuki looking at Naruto.

"Yes, yes please tell me! I want some damn answers!" Naruto screamed out.

Iruka was about to speak but was cut off as Mizuki started to laugh. "Tell me Naruto how is your birthday related to such a big event." Naruto thought about it and came up with the Kyuubi festival. The day the Kyuubi died but what did that have to do with him?

"The Kyuubi festival?" Naruto asked.

"The Kyuubi wasn't destroyed, Naruto, it was sealed into a newborn… a baby that was born that exact day…" Naruto's eyes widened at that. His birthday was the Kyuubi festival, the Kyuubi was sealed in a new born, he was a newborn, people hated him…

"No…" Naruto whispered.

"Yes... You are the Kyuubi no Kitsune revived! How _dare_ you take this poor child's body as your personal skin!" Mizuki roared, and with that he let the second fuuma shuriken fly towards the frozen Naruto. In the poor boys eyes all he could see was the flying piece of metal going towards him and the shape of his sensei going in front of him.

_Schlick!_

"W-why?" Naruto asked in a whisper. Iruka grimaced and tried to give the boy below him a grin. A large shuriken stuck from his back but protected Naruto from decapitation.

"I was like you Naruto. I played pranks, I acted out, heck I did almost everything you do. I did it all for attention. It's hard isn't it? Having a lonely life," Iruka said. Naruto could feel tears stinging his eyes but he wiped them away. "The Kyuubi killed my parents. I was angry, so very angry and I wanted to hate you. But you weren't anything like people said. You were just a boy who needed help. You are nothing like the Kyuubi, you are you. I'm sorry Naruto. I'm sorry I didn't help sooner." Naruto furiously wiped his face to make the tears in his eyes go away but he couldn't stop them.

"Thank you Iruka-sensei," the blonde whispered.

"Now run Naruto. Run! You can't let Mizuki get the scroll." Naruto shook his head and crawled from under Iruka.

"I can't keep running. If I do he will kill you then come after me. I have to make my stand now," Naruto placed the scroll on the ground and shrugged off his coat.

"Naruto _run_! You can't beat Mizuki!"

"I don't have to," Naruto said as he threw his orange coat to the ground. Naruto was left in a black mesh armor top under a white t-shirt. His coat made a harsh thump and Iruka gave it an odd look.

'Weighted clothes?'

"I just have to hold off the bastard. By now Hokage jii-san must have sent out people. And I know he is probably watching us right now," Naruto looked into the sky as if he could stare back at Sarutobi and miles away the Sandaime smirked to himself as he watched with his crystal ball.

"Tch what can you do demon brat?" Mizuki yelled as he held his final fuuma shuriken over his head. Naruto dropped into a loose fighting stance that Iruka recognized as a somewhat bastardized version of the Academy's. The boy's legs were spread at shoulder level and slightly bent. His left arm was held up parallel to his body with the palm facing his face and his right arm was brought close to his body with the fist clenched. Naruto glared at the white haired man and made the 'come' motion with his forward hand.

"Come at me bro." Mizuki snarled and flung his large shuriken at Naruto who merely side stepped and rushed up to Mizuki who ran to meet the boy. The Chunin was obviously faster but Naruto showed a surprising amount of speed that the two teachers weren't aware of. As Mizuki threw his arm out for a straight punch Naruto dodged under it and countered with a sweep with his leg.

Mizuki jumped over the offending kick and threw his own leg out to try and smack Naruto in the side of the head. To the man's shock Naruto went even lower to the ground and rolled under the kick before hooking his arm under Mizuki's leg. With a shout of exertion Naruto twisted his body up and threw Mizuki over his shoulder. The man yelled in surprise before righting himself and landing gracefully.

"So the little demon has some skill. I shouldn't be surprised. Taijutsu was the only thing you really were okay at. Too bad you could never be the best," Mizuki mocked. Naruto scowled.

"Up yours. Who says I was trying my best," Naruto growled. Mizuki laughed bitterly.

"We both know you were." Naruto narrowed his eyes and dropped back into his stance. Mizuki grinned and pulled two kunai from his pouch and held them up before lobbing them at Naruto. Naruto rushed forward and dropped to the ground before sliding under the weapons before kicking back up and resuming his rush at Mizuki. The man met Naruto's swift kick with a knee block and threw a haymaker at Naruto's face. The blonde leaned back and blocked with an elbow and threw his fist out to try and hook his opponent's face. Thanks to Mizuki's taller stature he merely threw his elbow out and knocked the boy's fist away.

Naruto disengaged from the man and backed away to get some space. Iruka looked up at his student with mixture of pride and worry as he pulled the shuriken from his back. He was proud that Naruto was holding his own but was worried because Mizuki wasn't a Chunin for nothing. The man hadn't even used ninjutsu yet. As if reading Iruka's Mizuki flipped through handseals and took a deep breath.

"_Katon: Housenka no jutsu!_" A flurry of small fireballs shot from Mizuki's mouth and flew towards Naruto. In an amazing show of agility and flexibility Naruto weaved through the pellets of fire. One fireball flew towards his face and to the great surprise of the two Chunin Naruto bent backwards at an almost impossible angle at the speed the boy was running in.

"Get better aim Mizuki-teme!" Naruto yelled as he popped back up and jumped forward. Mizuki snarled and rushed at the blonde. The two exchanged blows once more and Mizuki was starting to get angrier and angrier.

"How-are-you-keeping-up-with-ME!" Mizuki roared accentuating each word with a punch. Naruto redirected a wild punch and slammed his fist into Mizuki's stomach making the man double over.

"Because," Naruto said as he raised his leg up so that it was practically perpendicular to the ground, "the angrier you get the _easier_ you are to read!" Naruto smashed his heel into the Chunin's face and sent him reeling to the ground off the large branch they fought on. As Mizuki landed with a crash Naruto huffed and bent over sweating. He still could fight but he couldn't keep this up forever. He knew he'd never be able to straight up beat a Chunin. Where were the damn ninja that were supposed to be after him. Naruto saw his opponent slowly push himself up and jumped down. Maybe a well aimed punch to the mouth will knock the bastard out.

Mizuki growled and pushed himself off the ground. That last hit had hurt. Looking up at the boy dropping down at him the man grinned menacingly. Gathering chakra he flew through seals ending on the tiger. Iruka saw this and struggled up. He had to help his student.

"Naruto look out!" Iruka yelled as he pushed his body to move.

"It's too late Iruka!" Mizuki screamed in glee and took a deep breath. Naruto saw this and suddenly jumping down at the Chunin seemed like a bad idea. "_Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu_!" A mighty fireball sprang forth and hurtled towards the falling blonde.

"No Naruto!" Iruka screamed in worry. Naruto watched as the jutsu flew at him in fear.

'This is it,' Naruto thought as he dropped down towards his fiery end. 'I always thought that I would die when I was old and had my own grandchildren.' Naruto closed his eyes as he felt the heat reach him. 'Ever since that day things just went down hill. I can't even remember those people clearly. I wanted answers. Even more so now. From the Old Man, from that group, from anyone...' The blonde grit his teeth as questions popped into his head. Each new question had the same basic askance. Why? 'Why did this happen? Why wasn't it somebody else? Why couldn't I be stronger?! Why did everyone have to hate me?!'

"You're done Kyuubi!" Mizuki cackled. "Now everyone will see me as a hero!" Naruto snapped his eyes opened and reared his right hand back. The fireball bore upon on him and his fist clenched and made a cracking sound as his knuckles popped. There were too many questions. All needed answers but one tore from his throat as he sent his fist forward in an earth shattering punch.

"Why..._ME_?!" Naruto roared in fury. His punch smashed into the fireball and Iruka screamed out in fright. Time seemed to slow down as Naruto's hand hit the fire and then...

_PING!_

The sound echoed out through the forest and the great fireball literally shattered apart. Shards of fire dissipated around the falling Naruto who glared fiercely at the flabbergasted Mizuki. "It's over!" Naruto slammed his outstretched fist into Mizuki's frozen face and the man flew back.

Naruto stood over the groaning Mizuki and sighed in content. He looked to his right hand and let out a small laugh. "You're good for something it seems." And that was when the Anbu arrived. Naruto looked at the five ninja that landed in their masks and shook his head. Their timing was..._impeccable_.

The one bearing a cat mask stepped forward. She was obviously a female from her build and her dark purple hair was tied up in a ponytail. She motioned to two other Anbu and Naruto got the distinct impression she was the leader.

"Apprehend the traitor," the woman said.

"Yes captain!" The woman turned to Naruto and gave him a slight bow.

"Thank you for helping root out a traitor Uzumaki Naruto. I am Neko. Your presence is requested at the Hokage tower," Neko said crisply. Naruto blinked in confusion and looked at the two ninja holding Mizuki steady, one bearing a bear mask and the other a hawk.

"Where were you guys earlier? And what about that guy?" Naruto asked. The other two Anbu, a boar and a beetle, helped Iruka to his feet and retrieved the Scroll of Seals respectively. Neko looked at Mizuki who held his head down and had his arms bound.

"He will be taken into custody and questioned," the woman answered ignoring the first question. Naruto grumbled and looked at his former teacher before shrugging. With the Anbu here he shouldn't have to worry. As the group started to walk back to the village a sinister chuckle made Naruto rethink his last thought.

"You think you've _beat_ me demon," Mizuki whispered. Naruto turned to the man. With his head down Mizuki's hair cast a shadow over his face. "This isn't over. I've just begun!" Mizuki lifted his head for everyone to see and a collective gasp rang out. A glowing seal appeared on Mizuki's forehead and slowly started to pulse as it glowed brighter.

"A Suicide Seal?!" One of the Anbu holding the man yelled. The seal started to grow till it covered the Chunin's face in an intricate design as he laughed maniacally.

"And it's a powerful one!" Another Anbu yelled.

"Leave the traitor! Everyone run to safety!" Neko ordered. The seal started to pulse faster and Mizuki shouted in glee.

"You can't escape me! This is the strongest explosive seal to date! Anything within two miles will be dust!" The Anbu team looked at each other in worry and Neko pulled out her sword.

"If I cut your head off then we shouldn't have anything to worry about," Mizuki cackled in response.

"It's already begun. Nothing can stop me!" Naruto watched as everyone started to panic. If what Mizuki said was true then they couldn't outrun the explosion. He looked at his right hand then at seal. Steeling his resolve, Naruto rushed forward ignoring the cry of surprise from Neko.

"Wait stop!"

"It's too late demon!" Naruto jumped up and slugged Mizuki straight in the face.

_PING!_

The punch had enough force to knock the man out of the grip of his captors and he tumbled to the ground. The seal over his face pulsed and then disappeared to the shock of the surrounding people. Neko looked from the downed man back to the boy before walking up to Mizuki herself. To her shock the seal that was primed to explode at any second was gone from the groaning man. Not a trace left behind.

'What had happened? That was a Level 4 seal at the very least. Where had this man gained such a high level seal? And most of all, what did that Uzumaki child do to it?' Neko thought. Deeming to bring these questions up to her superior, the woman knocked out Mizuki and placed chakra suppressing cuffs on his arms. Who would have thought this man would need such high measures of security.

Naruto rubbed his hand and looked to the Anbu captain. "Are we done here?"

"Yes. Yes we are done," Neko responded quietly. The boy was an enigma and she did not personally like mysteries. With everything packed the group headed out of the forest. Naruto looked back and sighed before looking forward. What would he do now?

Xxx

Naruto found himself standing in the Hokage's office. The large scroll he had stolen was lying on Sarutobi's desk. He had reclaimed and once again donned his favorite orange jacket and was standing with his hands in his pockets. Across from the boy sat Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, and surrogate grandfather to Naruto.

Although at this moment Sarutobi was far from amused over Naruto's recent actions. With his hands steepled in front of him the man gave the boy a level stare making Naruto sweat a bit.

"So it seems like you had quite the night Naruto," Hiruzen said. Naruto grinned and laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Not only did you manage to sneak into my tower, but you were able to procure a most dangerous item."

"Yeah...sorry 'bout that old man. I mean it's not really my fault right," Naruto said grinning. Sarutobi did not look amused. Naruto sighed. "Look I just wanted to pass to be a Genin. I mean you don't know how _hard_ it's been. Things just haven't been so great for me. I mean I just learned I'm the Kyuubi reborn."

"Naruto," Hiruzen cut off gently. "You are not the Kyuubi. You merely seal it away. In fact you are a hero."

"Sure don't feel like one..." Sarutobi breathed deeply and leaned back in his chair.

"Naruto I was watching what happened tonight."

"Ha I knew it!" Naruto grinned but shut up quickly.

"Mmm yes, anyways I was watching what happened tonight. You showed an amazing amount of skill on the battle field. You also exhibited a level headedness I didn't know you had when fighting a clearly more superior opponent." Naruto smiled slightly at the praise. "But you also showed an ability I have never seen before." At this the boy flinched and looked down. "Naruto what did you do?"

"It's a long story old man," Naruto started. "But basically...I don't know if I'm cut out to be a ninja..." Sarutobi almost fell from his chair at the boy's words. Naruto not a ninja?! That was like him giving up ramen!

"Naruto-kun, my boy, why would you say that?" Naruto held up his right hand.

"Because of this," Sarutobi stood up from his desk and walked to Naruto. He leaned down and studied Naruto's arm. It looked normal to him. Maybe he needed a second opinion. Snapping his fingers an Anbu appeared in puff of smoke next to the man.

"Yes Hokage-sama?" The now identified Neko stated.

"Bring Hyuuga Koana if you would," Sarutobi stated. The Anbu bowed and was gone in a puff of smoke. Minutes ticked by and a moment of silence later a knock was heard on the large door of the Hokage's office. Sarutobi called for the person to come in and Naruto watched as a young woman with straight black hair and strange pupil less and milky eyes walk in. She wore a dark kimono and a Konoha headband with a white cloth was tied around her forehead.

"Hokage-sama you called for me?" The woman said bowing.

"Yes Koana-chan," Sarutobi said kindly. Koana nodded and stepped passed Naruto with barely a glance. She walked with the air of a royal person, but the way her feet planted on the ground gave away the fact she was a ninja.

"How may I be of service," Koana stated. Hiruzen motioned for Naruto to walk beside him. The blonde nodded stood in front of Koana. The woman's pale eyes were a bit unnerving.

"I would like for you to please use the Byakugan and give Naruto a full checkup?" Koana blinked in surprise, the only emotion Naruto had seen so far, and gave the boy a once over.

"Not to disobey you Hokage-sama, but wouldn't this be better done in a hospital? If you would like I can give the boy a full check up tomorrow at my office tomorrow," Koana said. Sarutobi shook his head.

"Unfortunately not Koana. This must be done in complete secrecy." Koana seemed even more surprised.

"I am even more at a loss sir. Wouldn't someone from the _main_ house be better suited for this?" Naruto noticed the way Koana said main and lifted his eyebrow at the barely concealed venom in her voice. Apparently it wasn't lost on the Hokage either, but all he could do was frown sadly.

"You are the top doctor that we have at the hospital. Your Byakugan is one of the strongest in your clan no matter what your status is. I ask for you and only you Koana-chan. So if you could," Koana nodded curtly while trying to hold in a blush of pride. She turned to Naruto who gulped.

"_Byakugan_!" Koana whispered harshly. Veins bulged around her eyes and her milky white eyes gained a perception that made Naruto feel naked. "I don't see any anomalies Hokage-sama. His chakra seems to be running fine."

"And his other chakra?" Koana looked to Naruto who shrugged and nodded. He knew of the Kyuubi so it wouldn't do any good trying to skirt around the subject.

"The Kyuubi's chakra is still being held back by the seal. He seems perfectly normal." It was here that Naruto scoffed. Koana looked at the blonde and narrowed her eyes. "Do you not believe me?"

"Oh no I do it's just I'm not normal. Trust me on this," Naruto replied. Sarutobi gave the blonde a curious look.

"Koana keep your Byakugan on until I tell you so. Naruto if you could please perform a jutsu," Naruto blanched. He really didn't want to. Hiruzen sensed Naruto's uneasiness and ruffled the boy's head. "Go on. It will be fine."

"If you say so... _Henge_!" Naruto yelled. To the shock of Koana Naruto was replaced with Iruka in a puff of smoke. The Sandaime nodded. Naruto hadn't used handseals like last time.

"Koana what do you see?"

"Other than the fact that an academy student is able to use seal less jutsu, I'm seeing something amazing. His chakra is flowing out of him and coating his body but around his right side it seems the chakra that is being let out is constantly being destroyed then replaced. The boy will no doubt suffer from chakra exhaustion soon!"

"That won't happen," Naruto said in Iruka's voice. His form was encased once more in smoke and Naruto was left standing when the smoke dissipated. "Ow, that kind of hurts. Anyways, I've held a transformation for hours. I've never felt like I was getting tired."

"Your chakra is leaving your body at an alarming rate boy. Even high class Jounin would suffer from chakra exhaustion at the rate you are going at," Koana explained. Naruto bristled.

"My name is Naruto, not boy, and I've always had a lot of stamina. Thanks to today I know the reason why," Naruto finished the last part quietly while looking at his stomach. Koana looked away apologetically.

"So you're telling me that Naruto's right arm is effectively destroying chakra," Sarutobi cut in. Koana looked at her leader and nodded.

"It is destroying any chakra that is trying to come outside his body. It looks like the only reason Naruto is able to use the Henge is because he is constantly supplying chakra to keep the jutsu going," Koana said. "I would like to know, is there a limit to what Naruto here can destroy?"

Naruto held his chin and thought while Hiruzen tapped his fingers on his arm. "Well I was able to smash through a fireball," Naruto said while holding his arms wide. "Mizuki shot it at me. Called it Goukakyuu or something." Koana hummed in thought.

"That is mid-class C rank technique. Most Genin don't see it till later in their career. Unless of course you are an Uchiha," the Hyuuga woman stated.

"Aww man. Are you saying that prick Sasuke knows that move," Naruto complained loudly. Koana had to stifle a chuckle and it came out as grunt making her blush in embarrassment. Naruto grinned at the girl who turned away.

"Moving on, it seems like Naruto is able to cancel out moves to C-rank."

"No that's not correct," the Sandaime muttered. "I have heard that Naruto was able to break something much more powerful than a simple fireball jutsu." It was here that the man motioned with his hand and a figure appeared in blur of speed.

"Yes Hokage-sama?" Neko stated taking a knee before him.

"Can you explain exactly what happened once you arrived at the scene. Unfortunately I had stopped watching the events believing you had everything covered."

The subtle reprimand wasn't lost on the Anbu and she cringed inwardly. "Certainly sir," Neko stood up and looked to Koana. "After my team had arrived it seemed as if young Naruto here had already apprehended the traitor Mizuki. Thinking he was already defeated we merely tied his hands together and started to head back. We didn't account for the man to activate a Suicide Seal."

Koana blinked in surprise. Mizuki was a Chunin and a teacher's aide. Many knew this thanks to his work at the academy. For the man to know such a complex seal was unnerving.

"We were caught by surprise and the level of the seal wouldn't have allowed for us to escape. That was when Uzumaki-san showed a skill that protected us and completely nullified the Suicide Seal."

"What was level of the seal? Suicide Seals are high-class but they range from Level 1, eliminating just the user, to Level 5. If you're telling me that Mizuki had a Level 5 seal then he could have destroyed most of the forest," Sarutobi said.

"It was...he had at least a Level 4 seal sir. From how complex it looked and the pulse timing I wouldn't classify it anything lower," Neko answered. Hiruzen frowned deeply and sighed. There weren't many that had that kind of knowledge on fuinjutsu. The first person that came to Sarutobi's mind was Jiraiya. However, there was I microscopic chance that he gave that seal to Mizuki. The only other person who had an extensive knowledge of seals was Orochimaru. He wasn't as proficient but Suicide Seals seemed just up his alley.

'What are you playing at Orochimaru?' Sarutobi thought grimly. To the side Naruto chewed his lip thoughtfully as he watched everything around him. The Hokage looked at the blonde.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah jii-jii?"

"You said you read through the whole scroll correct? There are hundreds of techniques in there. I would have thought, and I'm not suggesting that you should have, that you would have tried one." It was here that Naruto slumped over.

"This is why I shouldn't be a ninja. It's not the fact that I didn't want to. I couldn't do them," Naruto held his hands up, "I can't do handseals."


	2. imagine a Surprise

**So like I stated before in my other story Blood-line I want to get out at least two chapters so that everyone realizes that I am serious about these stories. Anyways please read and enjoy and review, I want to know what you all think.**

Xxx

_My disability. My curse. My stigma. It is mine to bear. It is mine, and I will use it to my advantage. You will think I am weak. You will try to bring me down. But I am strong. Stronger than you could Imagine..._

Xxx

**Imagine a Surprise**

Naruto walked down the road leading to the academy. In his hand was the Konoha headband that the ninjas of the village wore proudly to show their loyalty. But for the blonde all it signified were his mixed emotions. Naruto blinked from his thoughts as he heard the tell-tale sounds of his fellow students talking loudly. It seemed like the boy's feet led him to his classroom almost automatically. Looking back down to his headband Naruto gave it a determined look before tying it tightly around his forehead. The night he received his headband played in his head as he stepped over the threshold into the class.

_One Week Earlier_

"What do you mean you can't use handseals?" A confused Sandaime asked. Handseals were taught at the first year of the academy. They weren't that hard to memorize. Naruto shrugged in response and held up his right hand. Outwardly, it looked perfectly normal. However, as shown earlier it was anything but.

"I can do them just fine. It's just that nothing happens whenever I do them." Naruto proceeded to gather chakra and did the seals for a basic Kawarimi. Finishing the sequence the boy's audience waited for the blonde to be replaced with something. The wait was for nothing as the blue eyed boy sighed and lowered his arms.

"I don't understand what I'm seeing," Koana stated as she gazed at the blonde with her Byakugan. Sarutobi motioned for the Hyuuga to continue. "Naruto, if you could, do the handseals for the Henge for me please?" Naruto nodded and went through the proper seals as he gathered his chakra. Just as before and any other time once his built up chakra was about to be molded by the handseals he felt it leave him. Vanish completely. With a sigh Naruto dropped his hands rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was getting late. Sarutobi noticed this as well and chuckled at the poor boy yawning in his office.

"Anything you could see Koana?" The woman in question deactivated her Byakugan and nodded to the Hokage.

"He is gathering chakra as normally as any other ninja. But when the chakra reaches his hands to be molded it dissipates. Seeing as how handseals mold the chakra it seems like he can't use them to do any jutsu," Koana stroked her chin in thought. "But why were you able to use the Henge? And without seals too."

Naruto shrugged and thought for a moment. "I wasn't able to use handseals even before I entered the Academy. But I always faked that I was trying to do the jutsu with them." Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at the blonde's trickery. He wasn't mad. Just surprised that no one had figured out what Naruto was doing. "I went to some instructors after our classes to ask how the chakra was supposed to feel when doing handseals. Some of the teachers blew me off but there were a few that actually did help me. I'm glad Nomura-sensei helped me out," Naruto said.

"Nomura-sensei teaches you what exactly?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Uh I'm not sure. I never really listened in his class. It had something to do with chakra and applying it or whatever," Naruto replied with a blush of embarrassment. The Sandaime nodded. If it was Applying Chakra and Mechanics there was no doubt the man knew his material. "Anyways after he told me how my chakra was supposed to move with handseals I sort of just forced my chakra to do it without them. It hurts a bit but you get used to it."

Naruto looked at the older company whom merely contemplated his words. Not seeing the need to explain anymore Naruto coughed lightly making the Hokage look up from his thinking.

"Oh, yes Naruto-kun? What can I do for you?"

"Can I go home now old man? I'm really tired," Naruto moaned. Hiruzen chuckled lightly and nodded. The blonde beamed at his surrogate grandfather before turning to the two women. "Koana-chan, Neko-chan it's been fun but I'm going to sleep." Koana gave a dignified huff at the added suffix while the Anbu merely nodded before disappearing.

"Wait Naruto-kun. Can you at least tell me how this happened to you?" The Sandaime asked the retreating blonde. Naruto stopped before turning and staring at the old leader. After a moment of unnerving silence Naruto chuckled before turning and leaving the Hokage with an enigmatic response.

"When I figure it out I'll let ya know old man. When my dreams actually make sense."

Xxx

'Sorry old man,' Naruto thought. 'I can't tell you what happened yet. Not till I figure it out for myself.' The boy felt guilty for keeping the truth from his grandfather figure. However, he didn't have all the answers himself. Until he could be sure he had them all then he would be willing to unveil what had happened.

As Naruto walked down the stairs he was seen by one of his old ditching buddies from the Academy. A young boy with black hair done up in a ponytail resembling a pineapple watched as Naruto stepped down and raised an eyebrow in wonder. He wasn't the only one as a feral looking boy with a white puppy snoozing on his head also took notice. "Oi Naruto." Said blonde looked towards the owner of the voice. "What are you doing here? Don't you know that this is for only graduates?" Naruto huffed in response and flicked the headband tied to his forehead.

"As you can see here I'm a graduate ya lazy bum," Naruto grinned at the widening eyes of Shikamaru before they resumed to their lazy, apathetic stare.

"Huh well good on ya, I guess." Shikamaru stated before yawning and resuming his sleep on the desk.

"So who'd ya have to bribe to get that," Kiba called out from his seat. Naruto stuck his tongue out and gave the Inuzuka a one finger salute before walking to an empty seat not bothering to look who he was next to. In the corner of the classroom sat a quiet girl with short blue hair and milky white eyes. She blushed and smiled behind shifting hands as she gazed at the blonde boy.

'I'm so glad Naruto-kun actually graduated,' Hinata thought with a blush. The boy in question sighed lightly as he leaned back into his chair. Beside him sat a dark haired boy with the back of his black hair spiked upwards almost resembling a fan. He sat quietly with barely a glance at his seat mate. The antics of the dead last did nothing to pique the curiosity of Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto looked up to the ceiling and held his hand in front of him. 'Am I really cut out to be a ninja?' There was the fact that Naruto could still technically do jutsu, albeit elementary ones, but without handseals learning advanced techniques were really out of his reach. The sounds of shouting filled the class as the doors burst open and two girls careened through. One girl had long hair colored a pale blonde tied in a ponytail. The other let her equally long bubble gum colored hair hang freely behind her.

"Ha! I beat you Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled, her emerald eyes shining in glee.

"Pfft dream on forehead!" Ino yelled back her own pale blue eyes mimicking the pink haired girl's glee. Naruto looked up in surprise before grinning happily and staring at Sakura. Ah Sakura, his pink haired goddess. Naruto watched the two girls rush down the stairs and he stood up.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said in delight. Sakura rushed forward and roughly pushed Naruto off his chair before claiming it for herself.

"Move idiot! Sasuke-kun how are you?" the pink haired girl gushed. Ino fumed from the side while Naruto pushed himself from the floor.

"Get away from Sasuke-kun forehead!" Ino pushed against Sakura and the two girls fought for the chair. This action started a brawl amongst the girls of the class to see who would sit next to the brooding Uchiha. None of them realized or paid attention as Naruto walked around the frenzy and sat on the chair on Sasuke's other side.

'What does he have that I don't?' Naruto thought miserably. As chaos reigned in the class Iruka walked through the teacher's entrance happily and stood at his podium.

"Good morning class," Iruka said brightly. Not receiving a response and hearing the increasing screech of girls, a migraine slowly started to form for Iruka. 'Damn kids..'

"Give Sasuke-kun back!"

"He's mine!"

"Let go you stupid harpy!"

"You look like chewed bubblegum!" the young sensei sighed at the young girls' attitude before gathering his chakra.

"SIT THE HELL _DOWN!_" Iruka bellowed using chakra to amplify his voice and cast a small genjutsu on his head. All was silent as his students quickly filed to their seat. Sakura claimed her "throne" at Sasuke's side and beamed at her victory. Iruka merely sighed and opened his scroll.

"Now I'd like to congratulate you all on your hard work. Today marks the start your careers as true ninja," Iruka started. As the Chunin continued his speech Naruto laid his head in his arms and tuned Iruka out. It's not that he didn't care about his teacher it was just that Iruka tended to ramble on and on.

'I wonder whose team I'll be on,' the blue eyed boy thought. 'Hopefully I will have a sensei that can teach me something, even with my handicap.' Naruto frowned at that last thought before he shook his head slightly and steeled himself. 'Come on Naruto get it together. If the old man has confidence in you then no doubt you're a great ninja. And who knows, maybe I will be in a team with Sakura-chan.' A small blush bloomed on his face as Naruto grinned at that prospect. Naruto was shaken from his inner monologue as he heard his crush's name.

"Team 7 will be under Jounin Hatake Kakashi and they include Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyakuren Rikku." Naruto slumped in defeat as he heard two shouts of happiness from two different girls. One was Sakura no doubt but Naruto had never really paid much attention to the other girl.

'Hyakuren Rikku?' Naruto wondered as he took in the sight of the girl. She was about as tall as Sakura with emerald green hair and striking teal eyes. Her hair was done in a loose pony tail with her bangs framing her face. Rikku sported a battle skirt and a short sleeved top over a mesh under garment. Her outfit reminded Naruto of Ino's but with stockings instead of bandages and colored black instead of purple. She was fairly pretty, with a healthy glow to her skin and a cute face. But seeing as how she was another Sasuke obsessed girl, Naruto didn't really notice her.

'Too bad Sakura-chan is like that too,' Naruto sighed sadly. She was so nice when they first met as children. What had happened? 'Oh yeah, he happened,' the blonde looked to his side while thinking. Naruto almost felt sorry for the guy. Sasuke and he didn't have the best relationship. The guy thought himself as better than everybody and did almost anything to prove it. Naruto wanted so badly during their sparring matches to forego his weighted coat and run circles around the Uchiha. 'My taijutsu has to be better than his! I mean...it's all I got,' Naruto thought sullenly. But there were consequences to laying out the rookie of the year. Attention would be gained and questions would be asked on how the dead last managed to curb stomp the Uchiha. Questions the young boy didn't know how to answer immediately.

Sighing sadly Naruto decided to actually pay attention to the rest of the team assignments. They should be done soon anyways. "Team 9 is still in circulation so I will skip to Team 10. Team 10 under Sarutobi Asuma will consist of Akamichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino. And those are the team assignments," finished Iruka smiling at his students. Naruto sat up slowly, shock clearly apparent on his face. Did he not hear his name? Was he just not paying attention or was he really not assigned a team?

"Uh Iruka-sensei I think I missed my name," Naruto called out as he raised his hand. Iruka lost his smile and looked at his roster once more. After double checking and triple checking the man turned slightly pale. Naruto wasn't on a team.

"Uh-um..." Stammered Iruka. How could this happen! Naruto had saved his life and even took down Mizuki. He had thought that would constitute Naruto graduating. For heaven's sake the boy sported a headband. But Naruto wasn't on a team.

"Ha! I knew you were faking it!" Kiba called out to the blonde from a higher row. Shikamaru shook his head and gazed at the shell shocked Naruto. He didn't look like his usual self after a prank. In fact the guy looked positively sick. Naruto slowly stood up ignoring the whispering of his classmates and walked to the door. Sasuke gave him an odd look at Naruto's irregular mood. There was no cheer in the boy. He just looked despondent.

The knocking on wood silenced the room as the door Naruto was walking to slid open. From the entrance walked a tall man with short brown hair covered by the Konoha headband turned into a bandana. He was garbed in the standard shinobi outfit and a thick flak jacket over it. Strapped to his back was a straight blade katana with a rectangular guard. He seemed slightly pale with bags under his grey eyes.

"I'm looking for Uzumaki Naruto," the man said between coughs. Naruto raised his hand wearily and the man nodded. "My name is Gekko Hayate. I am your Jounin instructor. Follow me." Hayate said crisply as he gave Iruka a curt nod and left. Naruto blinked dumbly before shaking his head and looking at his classmates. They all shared his surprised look. Kiba especially looked ashamed as he looked away and scratched his cheek. Naruto grinned slightly before turning and running towards his sensei. With a quick good bye to Iruka Naruto rushed to Hayate and fell in line with the Jounin.

Hayate looked down at his young charge and hummed in thought before looking forward once more. When the Hokage had called him to the tower Hayate was deeply confused. After just completing an A-rank mission he had assumed he would have some time off. But the request the old Hokage had threw Hayate for a loop. Become a Jounin instructor for one Genin. Just one. He didn't ask the just newly promoted from tokubetsu Jounin shinobi to become a Jounin instructor to a team. No the Hokage asked him to teach one person.

At first Hayate had thought he was receiving an apprentice and he was elated. To think that a young fresh Genin was at the level in kenjutsu to warrant an apprenticeship. Hayate had asked the students name and when he received it the man's idea of a well gifted sword practitioner vanished. Uzumaki Naruto didn't seem like a kenjutsu person. In fact just looking at the Jinchuriki now Hayate could tell the kid probably never picked up a katana. But the man was assured that if he taught the boy then the blonde would learn. Naruto was full of surprises the Hokage stated. He had a great handicap compared to his peers but Sarutobi stated that it would not be a problem. When asked if the Hokage could elaborate he merely smiled and said it wasn't his place to say.

"Um Hayate-sensei?" Naruto asked breaking the silence. Hayate glanced down. "Are we meeting my other teammates?" Hayate shook his head before replying.

"You are the only one I will be teaching Naruto. I was asked to become your sensei due to your circumstances regarding your handicap," Hayate explained. Naruto blinked before looking at his stomach. The Jounin understood and shook his head while coughing. "Not the Kyuubi. Have no fear Naruto for I do not hate you for what you contain. I and many other higher ranking ninja know how much you sacrifice for us," Hayate stated while trying to hold in a few dry hacks. Naruto stopped walking causing the man to also stop and stare. Was there something wrong? They had not left the Academy yet. Did he forget something.

"Y-you don't care," Naruto whispered with his head down. Hayate tilted his head in confusion but nodded.

"Of course I do not care. I do not like the Kyuubi but my hate for it does not pertain to you personally," the brown haired man replied. Naruto lifted his head and smiled a teary smile.

"Thank you." Hayate blushed in embarrassment and befuddlement. Most people didn't openly express themselves around him. Only his girlfriend, Yuugao, and other select Jounin really bonded with him.

"Ahem," Hayate coughed. "You're quite welcome, but if we could proceed. I wish to arrive at our training ground soon." Naruto nodded before wiping his eyes and smiling.

"You got it Hayate-sensei! Let's go!" And with that said Naruto sprinted forth with a spring to his step.

Xxx

The two arrived at an open area. Hayate had taken the duo to a training ground mostly used for sparring. There weren't any training dummies and it was predominately surrounded by trees except for a river that flowed on one side.

"So as I stated before, I was told you have some sort of handicap. For this reason I was chosen as your instructor," Hayate said. Naruto nodded before looking around. "Something wrong Naruto?"

"Well I was just wondering why I don't have teammates. Or was that just for a while and then they come?" Hayate chuckled lightly to the blonde's question before shaking his head.

"There is no one else. Like I said before, you are the only one I am teaching," Naruto blinked at that and scratched his head. No team at all? Did that mean he was going to do missions solo? The blonde voiced his concern. "Many missions we will do will be solo, yes, but we will actually be partnered with other rookie teams so that you can gain experience with other ninja. Does that answer your question?" Hayate explained and Naruto nodded to the man's question.

"So did old man Hokage tell you what's wrong with me?" Naruto asked. Hayate coughed in shock at the boy's blatant disrespect of the village leader before remembering the close relationship the two shared. It was odd how close they were.

"No unfortunately he did not. He told me that you would most likely be able to show it in action. For that I have decided a light spar will suffice. It will allow me to get a good idea on your abilities and show me what is wrong," Hayate said. Naruto nodded and at the Jounin's nod dropped into his fighting stance from when he fought Mizuki. Hayate immediately could see flaws.

"Naruto your stance is full of flaws," coughed Hayate. Naruto looked down at his body and frowned.

"This is how I was taught at the Academy. I was shown this by Mizu-," Naruto cut himself off before growling. Of course his stance was flawed. It was Mizuki who taught him, the man that had tried to kill the blonde.

Hayate noticed Naruto's discouraged look and patted the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry Naruto. But you should take solace in the fact that even with a flawed taijutsu stance you were able to best Mizuki," Hayate said as he tried to cheer up Naruto. Naruto grinned slightly and felt his self-esteem raise at that. Hayate smiled slightly before frowning in thought. Naruto was able to hold his own against a superior opponent. According to his transcript Naruto was said to be one of the top contenders in the taijutsu area. 'The question is how,' Hayate thought, 'with a flawed stance full of opening.'

"What should I do sensei?" Naruto's question snapped Hayate from his thoughts. He coughed a few times before backing up.

"Well I was thinking we should carry on with the spar. Just get into a stance that feels the most comfortable," Naruto nodded before righting his body. Biting his lip in thought Naruto shifted his feet so they were closer together before shaking his head and spreading them again. Naruto lifted his arms up and scrutinized them.

"I don't know what feels comfortable," Naruto relented with a sigh. Settling to just go back to the only stance he knew Naruto nodded to his sensei. "I'll stick with this for now sensei." Hayate tapped his chin before nodding his acceptance. He couldn't help his student without learning what the boy could do.

"Okay then. For now we will focus on taijutsu. As we progress through the spar I will be adding in the other branches of ninja arts. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well. Forewarning, I am predominately a kenjutsu practitioner. But because you do not have much experience I will not be using it. So do not pay attention to my sword," Hayate said as he motioned to his katana. "Now let's begin"

Hayate readied himself for Naruto's rush and wasn't disappointed as the Genin sprang forward. He leaned to the side to dodge a fast jab and had to duck as Naruto followed up with spinning back kick.

Naruto planted his foot on the ground forcefully and used that to propel his body into a front flip. He quickly shot his leg out as he completed his somersault hoping to land an axe kick on his sensei. Hayate blocked the kick and grabbed his student's ankle. Naruto felt a whooshing sensation as he was thrown over Hayate's shoulder and into the ground. Quickly righting his body, Naruto landed softly before holding his arms up to block any incoming attack. When nothing came Naruto looked above his arms to see Hayate merely waiting. Naruto growled and shot forth again.

Hayate weaved in and out of Naruto's blows and defended those that he did not dodge. He was pleased with Naruto's abilities. But something was bothering him. Naruto's fighting skills were no doubt able to defeat Mizuki, especially if the Chunin was underestimating the blonde, but Hayate was noticing something. 'It's almost unnoticeable but I can see it,' Hayate thought. As Naruto dropped low and threw a low hook that's when Hayate could see it clearly. 'There! I saw it! The boy is adjusting his attack before it hits, but not in a good way... That primary attack was aimed perfectly for my kidney why would he change its course?' Hayate blocked the punch and Naruto pushed on with a snap kick to his sensei's legs. Hayate narrowed his eyes and jumped over the attack.

'He's over thinking things. Again he adjusted his attack. With the way his kick was going at first he would have smashed it into the back of my knee. But then he aimed for my shin. Is it just his attacking?' Deciding to test out his theory and tired of being on the defensive Hayate pushed Naruto's leg away and went on the attack. Naruto let out a yelp as he stumbled backwards to dodge a swift punch from the brown haired man. Not relenting on his offense Hayate kicked Naruto on his side and sent the boy tumbling. Thankfully Naruto was able to throw his arms out in a hasty block before anything was broken.

Hayate rushed towards the downed blonde and sent a bone crushing haymaker at Naruto. Naruto quickly jumped back and did his best to dodge the up coming flurry of punches from the Jounin. As Naruto tried to block Hayate's attacks the man observed the Genin's movements. What he saw confirmed his suspicions. A final back hand to the face sent Naruto flailing to the ground.

'He was going to block that. It almost looked like he was going to redirect it even. His body is naturally doing the right thing but his mind catches up and contradicts his movements. It's almost like he thinks he isn't doing the right thing and tries to fix it in the middle of his motion.' Hayate shook his head. Those sort of reflexes normally came from experience and possibly years if training. There was only one time when Hayate had seen a Genin fight to a point where it seemed even some Jounin had difficulty restraining the boy without causing him too much damage. And that child had been...drunk. Hayate blinked in thought and stroked his chin as Naruto pushed himself off the ground with a groan.

"Ouch, that last hit really hurt," Naruto complained. Hayate coughed lightly and motioned for the blonde to stand which he did.

"You're taijutsu is quite something Naruto. There is no doubt in my mind that you excelled with it in the Academy. I have a few ideas but we will work on that later since I need to talk to an associate of mine. For now let's work on ninjutsu," Hayate stated. Naruto looked a bit nervous but nodded none the less. "Show me what you can do."

"_Henge!_" Naruto yelled and was obscured in smoke. Hayate gawked at the boy who was now transformed into a copy of the Jounin.

"Naruto you did that without any handseals. How did you do that?" Hayate questioned. Naruto reverted back to his normal self in a puff of smoke and grinned slightly.

"I can only do two real jutsu. They are the Henge and the Kawarimi. And I can do them without handseals. It's pretty much thanks to one of my Academy teachers that I can do this. But I had to learn because of my handicap," Naruto explained. The swordsman hummed in thought. This mysterious stigma was getting stranger. It was time Hayate needed to be informed.

"Naruto I think we need to discuss your issue," Naruto nodded and held up his right hand. Hayate frowned and coughed. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you my handicap." The man leaned in close and studied the appendage. It didn't look broken or anything.

"What is wrong Naruto?"

"Here let me show you," Naruto started to gather chakra and Hayate backed away slightly from the sheer magnitude that the blonde was gathering.

"W-wait Naruto what are you doing," coughed the Jounin as he could feel the pressure in the air grow heavy. Naruto focused intently and channeled chakra into his hands as if he was doing a jutsu and placed his hands in a seal.

_PING!_

And suddenly, the pressure was gone. Hayate looked around wearily and saw only Naruto with his hands in a seal.

"What happened?" Hayate asked as he looked around for the chiming sound he heard.

"The chakra, it's gone. Destroyed. All that chakra I built up to do a jutsu is gone once I channel it to do seals with my hands," Naruto explained. The blonde held his right arm up and looked at it sadly. "I can't channel chakra or do any particularly powerful techniques because I can't do handseals. In fact I barely have enough control to will my arm to not disrupt my henge."

Hayate nodded slowly in understanding. It was not unheard of for ninjas to be able to do techniques without handseals or even one handed seals. However it is incredibly rare and to be done the jutsu needs to be understood completely or at the very least the handseals must done a great number of times. That was, in fact, how Hayate had gained the knowledge on how to create kage bunshin without needing seals.

Unfortunately for young Naruto, he just didn't have the option on being able to use handseals to learn the inner workings of jutsu. This instructor at the Academy must have an extensive knowledge on how the Henge no jutsu and the Kawarimi no jutsu work to be able to explain to Naruto. And Naruto must either be a genius or worked himself to death to be able to do those two. Whatever the case Hayate was impressed.

"Don't worry Naruto. If there is any way for you to do jutsu we will find it. If not then, well I'm sure you will like what I can teach you. But let us move on. Since you can't do the necessary seals to produce genjutsu let us try and see how you are at dispelling it. Did you learn how to class?"

Naruto gave his sensei a flat stare and placed his hands in a tiger seal before saying, "_Kai_," sullenly. Hayate looked confused at the boy's attitude before realization came to him.

"Ah, of course the handseal for the releasing technique. Hmmm well let's try this. I will place you under a simple genjutsu. You will notice your surroundings change and when that happens I want you to pulse your chakra," Hayate said as he went through handseals. Naruto nodded and readied himself. Hayate activated the genjutsu and pushed his chakra out into Naruto's brain. "_Magen: Karasu._"

Naruto looked around trying to figure out if anything changed. Nothing really changed for the boy. A few birds flew from a tree and started to circle above the blonde but nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Suddenly his right arm started to sting. Naruto looked down hissing in pain as it looked like his arm was almost pulsing.

"Ouch! What the hell is this?" Naruto cursed. The pain slowly made its way up the blonde's shoulder and to his temple. Cursing at the uncomfortable sensation Naruto grabbed his head with his hands to try to stem the migraine that was forming.

_PING!_

Naruto felt a ripple course through his body and noticed the birds above shimmer away and his sensei's form disappear. "What the heck?" Naruto whispered.

"Interesting way to escape the illusion," Naruto heard behind him. He turned around and noticed Hayate standing with his arms crossed. "I noticed you seemed to be in pain. Odd because the genjutsu I placed isn't meant to do that."

"Yeah it was my arm," said the blonde. "It started to sting and the pain went to my head." Hayate looked taken aback.

"That's quite something. Do you know how genjutsu works?" Naruto shook his head in a negative. "Essentially genjutsu uses the opponents mind against them. The user sends their chakra into the person's brain and attempts to attack them by manipulating their brain. It seems like you destroyed my chakra that was invading your mind."

"I don't really understand," Naruto said. Hayate stroked his chin and tried to think of a way to explain what was going on. Honestly, the more Hayate heard about this handicap the more he was thinking that it wasn't so much as a handicap than an ability. It was true, yes, that Naruto could not conventionally learn jutsu but Hayate was starting to want to learn more about this mysterious handicap of Naruto's.

"You can destroy chakra Naruto. We can see that. But to what degree is still uncertain," Hayate started, a cough enunciating his sentence. "As we just saw you are able to dispel genjutsu like any other ninja, though your methods are a bit unorthodox."

"Un what?"

"Strange, Naruto. As we progress I hope to learn more about this ability of yours," Hayate finished.

"Ability? Why would you call it an ability?" Naruto questioned. He always thought of it as nothing but a nuisance.

"Because young Naruto you may have a disadvantage but I believe you were given something amazing." Hayate kneeled down and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Can you not think of anytime when this so called handicap of yours has not been helpful?" Naruto blinked and then thought hard. It didn't take long as his fight with Mizuki appeared in his mind. If it wasn't for his right hand Mizuki would have burnt him to a crisp. If it wasn't for his hand then Iruka sensei and those Anbu would have been blown up because of Mizuki.

"I saved people thanks to my _ability_," Naruto said using Hayate's phrase. Hayate smiled and stood up. Naruto scratched his head. There was much more to his stigma than meets the eye. Was it all bad? Or was there a silver lining for him.

"So now that we know a little bit about your skills how about we get to know one another," Hayate coughed out. "My name is Gekko Hayate. I am a Jounin and was recently promoted from tokubetsu Jounin. My likes are my girlfriend, soba, and my sword whom I named Momo. I am a practitioner of kenjutsu and I am very skilled at it. My dislikes are how politics work at times, laziness, people who gain when they did not work for it. My dream is to someday retire and gain a family."

Naruto smiled and started his introduction, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are ramen and training. I especially like training that can make me faster," Hayate filed that piece of information for later. "I dislike the three minutes it takes for ramen to be ready and how the villagers see me. My dream is to be Hokage and show the village that I'm not the Kyuubi. I also want figure out the real truth behind this hand of mine," Naruto finished. Hayate nodded at the blonde.

"That was very good introduction. I believe that those are very fine dreams indeed. This was a good start for our first meeting. I'm going to get some things for our training together. Before I go is there anything that you wish focus on specifically?" Naruto tapped his forehead before shrugging.

"I'm not sure sensei. Most of the time I just work on my body. Ya know like speed or strength. I stretch and run and do what I can, but I don't have a lot of formal training," Naruto said.

"I see. Well we have much to work on Naruto. Be prepared. I will see you tomorrow at 0900," and with that said Hayate disappeared via Shunshin. Naruto waved away the ninja smoke left by his teacher and coughed.

"Man I wish I could learn that."

Xxx

After his first meeting with Hayate was over Naruto decided to do some personal training. The sun started to set as Naruto finished his final push-up and plopped to the ground.

"My body hurts," the blonde groaned. He slowly pushed himself up and stretched his limbs before walking out of the training ground. As Naruto walked he couldn't help but be excited for his training with Hayate.

As Naruto continued on his way home he failed to notice a presence following him. It wasn't until he reached his apartment complex that his senses finally picked up on the stalker. Naruto slowly climbed the stairs making sure to keep his body calm. No need to alert his pursuer that he was onto them. Just as he reached the last step Naruto pulled a kunai from his holster and held it out.

"Who's there!? I know you're following me!" Naruto called into the night. Silence met his words and Naruto gulped as he gripped his weapon tighter. He backed up slowly and tried to control his breathing. "It's okay Naruto. There's no one out there. You're just imagining it..."

"Your perception skills are much to be desired Naruto-san." Naruto let out a very unmanly shriek and turned around to find Koana standing near his door with her arms crossed. A small smirk adorned her face after Naruto's involuntary noise. Naruto tapped his chest rapidly to try to slow his heart rate and glared at the woman.

"What-is-the-_big idea_?!" Naruto half whispered half screamed between breaths hoping he didn't wake his neighbors. Naruto patted his chest softly and sighed. Koana, Naruto remembered her now. 'What is she doing here?'

"It seems you have had quite the week Naruto-san," Koana said. Naruto nodded slowly as he took in the young woman. She sported a pale blue kimono and her white banded headband was tied tightly to her forehead.

"Yeah I guess you could say that. What's the deal with the surprising me?" Naruto asked.

"I did not mean to surprise you. However, the lack you have in awareness for your surroundings is troubling," Naruto grumbled and shook his head.

"Well, then what do you want?" Koana merely looked from the boy to his apartment door and then back to him. Naruto sighed. "Would you like to come in?"

"Why thank you Naruto-san," Koana bowed slightly and walked through the opened door Naruto held. Koana sat down on Naruto's slightly lumpy couch while Naruto went to boil some water. An uncomfortable silence settled in the apartment and Naruto gulped. He had never had a girl in his apartment before. Even if said girl was probably over seven years his senior Naruto still didn't know what to do.

"So Koana-chan..."

"Yes Naruto-san?"

"Uh, just call me Naruto. Um anyways what can I do for ya?" Koana didn't answer immediately and settled on staring at the blonde uncomfortably for a moment.

"Do you remember what had happened in Hokage-sama's office about a week ago?" Naruto nodded wearily. What was she getting at? "It was confirmed by his Anbu that you were able to destroy a very high level seal."

"Yeah that weird seal on that bastard Mizuki's head. What about it?" Naruto asked. It was here that Naruto started to notice her unease. She seemed uncomfortable. "Are you okay?" Koana rose to her feet and bowed lowly making Naruto gape in shock.

"Naruto-san!"

"Just Naruto."

"I beg of you. Please help me. Please free the Hyuuga!" All was silent and Naruto merely blinked in a stupor as the water in his pot started to whistle shrilly.


End file.
